Forensics: Fingerprinting

Mrs. Moss's gifted 5th-graders recently stepped into the shoes of forensic scientists for a hands-on lesson in fingerprint analysis.
Using authentic, law-enforcement-grade materials, students learned the precise techniques professionals use to lift and record latent prints. Students also learned to identify the 3 main types of fingerprints: loops, whorls, and arches. Later, they used a clever macro-science trick: printing their own fingerprints onto balloons and blowing them up. This giant expansion allowed our young detectives to clearly identify and analyze the unique minutiae—like bifurcations, bridges, ends, and dots—that make every individual truly one of a kind.











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